Madysen Sieben
M.A., R.C.C., C.C.C.
Counselling
Hi there, so glad you found me. My name is Mady and I am a Registered and Canadian Certified Clinical Counsellor who loves the ocean, reading books, seeing and making art, and most of all: connecting with people.
I hold two degrees: a Bachelor of International Studies and a Master of Counselling Psychology. I have over 10 years of experience working with people in a helping capacity, from support roles to outreach work to clinical counselling.
I work from a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive framework, and offer individual as well as couples therapy sessions. My particular areas of therapeutic interest are:
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Developing healthy relationships and attachments
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Anxiety & depression
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Childhood trauma/abuse
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Body image and disordered eating habits
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Religious trauma and/or deconstruction of once tightly held belief systems
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Existential anxiety and finding meaning and purpose in one’s life
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Addiction/substance use issues and recovery
My Theoretical Orientations
Feminist, DBT & Family Systems
I like to draw from various theories in my practice, tailoring each session to the individual sitting in front of me, utilizing techniques that best help us to accomplish your goals. I work from the biopsychosocial model as well as a few key counselling theories:
Feminist Counselling theory is a kind of broad stroke that paints the base coat for my practice. It is a theory that was born out of second wave feminism, and posits that the personal is political – meaning, our individual problems often have some societal and cultural roots. It is motivated by social justice and is inherently anti-oppressive and intersectional. Working from this theory in counselling encourages us to ask ourselves about the larger systems we are participating in, and how they might be playing a role in our current distress.
Family Systems and Dialectical Behavior Therapy are the pops of colour that add dimension and dynamism to my practice. I find that the techniques and skills associated with these theories can provide fertile ground for therapeutic growth. Family Systems is similar to feminist theory in the sense that it encourages us to look at the systems you are living in, but more specifically, the systems of your interpersonal relationships and how those dynamics contribute to your current functioning.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy works really well for people who are interested in adding “tools to their tool box,” as is it a heavily skills-based theory that helps people make changes to their lives and behaviors. These skills function to help us develop mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation.
In general, I believe that humans are inherently relational creatures. How we grow and change is usually through the transformative power of safe and supportive relationships. Therapy is an avenue for such transformative power, and often this has little to do with the therapist’s use of any specific theory. Counselling Theories are kind of like philosophies that help guide us, and tool boxes full of skills and techniques that can help us accelerate our growth. But the real change occurs because of your commitment and desire to, and because of the connections in your life that make you feel safe enough to do so. If you choose to embark on a therapeutic journey with me, it is my hope that I can provide that type of connection for you.
